Scaffold bracket



fsAFFoLD BRACKET Filed May 955;.: 1919 Patented Feb. 19, 1924.

DONALD M. MARTIN, OF WINTHROP, MASSACHUSETTS.

PATENT OFFICE.

SCAFFOLD BRACKET.

Application filed May 9, 1919. Serial No. 295,870.

T 0 all whom t may concern.

Be it known that I, DONALD M. MARTIN, a subject of Great Britain, residing at lVinthrop, in the county of Suolk and State of Massachusetts,'have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Scaffold Brackets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates, generally, to brackets and has reference, more particularly, to a novel construction of scaffold-bracket for use in any form of scaffolding, such as is employed by painters, builders, etc.

The improved bracket is of special utility in connection with the construction of stucco houses. v

The present invention has for its principal object to provide a bracket, which is readily attachable to an upright or other part of a scaffolding of the usual form and easily detachable therefrom, affording an attachment, without the use of nails, screws, and the like, which combines an economy lin construction and manipulation, facility and efliciency of operation, and strength and durability unattainable by devices involving the use of the complex and cumbersome wood-engaging means heretofore employed. These and other objects not at this time more particularly enumerated will be more clearly understood from the following more detailed description illustrated by the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of the invention in which- Fig. 1 is a front View showing the bracket.

the bracket detached from the upright and partially collapsed. Fig. 3 is a section ltaken along the line in Fig. 1'. F ig. 4 is a section taken along the line y-fz/ in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section taken along the line @7 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view' showing the construction of the wood-engaging end of one of the bracing elements shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The bracket consists', in the preferred form, of the angle-iron?. forming the main beam, the pair of angle-irons 3 forming the arms, the pair of angle-irons 4 forming the struts for the purpose of bracing the arms, and the locking and tightening device more particularly shown in Fig. 4. 1 is an'uprightpof an ordinary scaffold.

The pivotal connections employed render the device collapsible, a feature which not only facilitates its attachment, and detachment, but also enables it to be folded into a compact form convenient for storage and transportation. y

Fig. 2 'shows' the device partially collapsed,

and by particular reference to this drawing.

the general organization of the invention may be readily seen. 2 is the main beam pivotally supporting the arms 3 at 6. The arms 3 are provided with object-engaging means.- The specific means shown are spurs 8 integral with the ends-7 of the arms The spurs are adapted to engage the wood of the upright 1. The stops 9 integral with the main beam 2 are adapted to engagethe slots 10 inthe arms 3. vThe lugs Z serve as guards to retain the flooring in position.

The struts or bracing elements 4 are pivotally connected with the arms 3 at v1l, and each is provided with a spur 12 integral with the end 13 adaptedto engage the wood of the upright 1, and with a stop 21. The bracket is brought into its operative position by swinging the arms 3 into perfect alignment with the main beam 2 as shown in Fig. 1. The arms 3 act by leverage'with the pivotal connections 6 as fulcrums, and the pressure thereby exerted in effecting -the alignment brings the spurs 8 into biting engagement with the wood of the upright 1. The biting engagement when fully effected is shown by thedotted lines 8 in Fig. 1,-while Fig. 3 shows in crosssection the upright 1 deeply engaged by the spurs 8. `The stops 9 engaging the slots 1() as shown in Fig. 5 lock the arms into thc alignment effected as above, while the positioning of the main beam 2 in said alignment prevents lateral sagging of the arms 3.

T'he locking and tightening device consists of the bolt 5 with the threaded end 20 and the headed end 14 by which it pivotally engages at 15 the right-hand strut as shown in Figs. 1, l2, and 4. 16'is a wing-nut engaging the threaded end of said bolt 5, and 17 is a collar slidably mounted on the same provided with a stop-lug 18. 'When the struts 4 are'swung into operative position with the spurs '12 engaging the wood of the upright 1 at '19 as shown vin Fig.'1', the stoplug 18 is brought into engagement with the slot 22 in the left-hand strut 4, the struts 4 arelocked in this position by turning the` wing-nut 1G as shown in Fig. 1, and by ,further turn-ing this nut a biting engagerment of the spurs 12 is effected to any eX- tent desired as shown in Fig. 4. The Vpressuretransmitted through the struts as by walking on the platform supported vby the brackets increases said biting enga-gement, and the pressure-plates 2l act as stops to prevent the `spurs being driven too deeply into the wood by this pressure, an unusual pressure on one arm tending to drive the spur Vmore deeply into the upright, then a like pressure on the other arm tending to drive the corresponding spur into the said upright, as the thrustsot the two arms oppose each other the result would be that the former spur would be partially withdrawn thereby loosening its grip on said upright.

It will be obviousthat this invention has a unique adaptability to the cxigencies of practical use,` an entirely eliectivc form oil the device weighing but a few pounds, while measuring upto the most exacting tests for strength. lts novel features give it a special adaptability to the scatlolding used in the construction of stucco houses. Heretoiore in this vconstruction the iiooring has been laid on brackets formed by nailing light pieces oil lumber directly to the uprights. The laying oi" cach additional strip of stucco necessitates an additional row of brackets so that the laf of the first complete coat oi" Vstucco leaves theentire Wall lined with rows of brackets which have to remain until the .succeeding coats have been laid.

The lumber employed for this purpose cannot be removed to make new brackets without splitting.

All this inconvenience and waste are obviated by the use of the present invention. A single Working row oit brackets issuilicient, it' being only necessary when a strip of stucco has been laid to swing another row of brackets into position and lay the flooring from the former rowthereon.

`While itis preferred to employ the specific construction and :-.rrangenient ot the parts shown andl described, since this constructionand arrangement Vare the v simplest and most efficient embodiment of the invention which has been'yet devised, it will be understood that this construction and arrangement are `not essential except so far as they are specified in the claims and may be varied or inodiiied without departing from the broader feai'zures of the invention.

I claim:

l. ln a scail'old bracket a main beam, two oppositely ext-ending supporting arms piv oted thereto so as to contact with a scaold bracket on opposite sides with each arm engaging said vupright so that the thrust of each of said arms is taken up by the thrust Y of the other arm when the arms are swung into operative position, a pair of struts pivotally connected therewith, each strut being provided with a spur adapted to torni a biting contact with the scaold upright and means for firmly edecting said contact with said scaffold upright. Y

2. A scadold-bracket comprising a main beam, a pair of arms pivotally connected therewith and provided with object-engaging means, said arms being movable into Y a scalold-upright, and exerting pressure to e'ect a biting engagement with the wOod ot said upright. Y

3. A scaffold-bracket comprising a main beam, a pair of arms pivotally connected therewith and provided with object-engaging means, said arms being movable into alignment with said main beam'so as to effect a biting engagement with the wood of a. scaffold-upright, andrmeans for furnishing bracing support for said arms.

4. A scali'old-bracket comprising a main beam provided with stops, a pair of arms pivota-lly connected with said main beam, provided with slots adapted for engagement by said stops, and having their inner ends terminating in Wood-engaging means, a pair ot struts pivotally connected with p said ririns with their ree ends terminating in wood-engaging means and stops, and a strut locking and tightening device, consisting of a bolt provided with a headed end pivotally engagingone otsaid struts, with its opposite end provided with awing-nut and with a collar provided with a stop-lug y slidably mounted thereon, saidstop-lug being adapted to engagefin a slot fin the second of the struts aforesaid so as to lock the struts in a biting engagement with vthe wood oi' an upright of a scaffold and to'inerease said biting engagement by furtherk tightening of the nut;V

5. A scaffold-bracket comprising a-main beam provided withstops, a pair of arms pivotally connected ywith said main beam,

adapted foi-'engagement by vsaid stops, and having their inner ends terminating in wood-engaging mea-ns, a pair of struts pivotally connected with said arms with their free ends terminating in wood-engaging means and stops, and means for locking said struts in engagement with theupright oa scaold.l

6. A scaiioldbracket comprising a main i beam and two oppositely disposed arms ,pivotally connected therewith and provided with means ofengaging a scaffold upright,

said arms being movable into alignment with said beam so as to efect a biting engagement with said upright with the leverage thereby engendered, a pair of Struts pivotally connected with said arms and adapted to furnish a bracing support for the same, the free ends of said struts being each provided with a spur integral therewith and means for effecting a permanent biting engagement of said spurs with a scaffold upright.

7. In a scaffold bracket, a main beam, two

oppositely disposed arms pivotaliy connected therewith and adapted to contact With a scaffold upright on opposite sides, a bracing strut for each arm adapted to engage Said scaffold upright, and a locking and tightening device adapted to lock the struts in'biting engagement With the upright and to ncrease said biting eiifect to any degree desired.

In testimony whereof I have aHXe-d my signature.

. DONALD M. MARTIN. 

